tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76691983738699315502018-01-15T11:45:13.400-05:00Bible, Math, Politics and More!Musings from the Sunday School Teacher, Math Teacher, and Republican who now lives in upstate South Carolina. Psalm 19:14 should be the bloggers' verse: "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer."Kennoreply@blogger.comBlogger900125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7669198373869931550.post-18006646519425137182016-11-29T20:42:00.000-05:002016-11-29T20:42:17.461-05:00My College Football Dream, Updated AgainThings begin falling into place. &nbsp;Michigan lost...twice. &nbsp;Louisville dropped like a rock, losing not only to Houston but also to Kentucky. &nbsp;And Penn State won the Big Ten East, and is about to face Wisconsin for the conference title.<br /><br />And in the next-to-last CFP rankings, Penn State is still at #7. &nbsp;So how does the dream go now? &nbsp;Let me tell you.<br /><br />All that remain are the conference title games, plus the unofficial Oklahoma-Oklahoma State contest. &nbsp;Oklahoma wins that game, but strength of schedule and a less-than-impressive Big 12 will not be enough to get them in. &nbsp;Washington beats Colorado, which virtually guarantees their inclusion in the playoff as the Pac-12 champions. &nbsp;Alabama beats Florida, which draws little but yawns outside SEC country.<br /><br />It's the ACC game that shocks everyone. &nbsp;Virginia Tech upsets Clemson by 20 on a neutral field. <br /><br />Penn State defeats Wisconsin with yet another blowout second half, 35-17.<br /><br />The final CFP ratings come out with Alabama at #1, Washington at #2, Ohio State at #3, and Penn State at #4. &nbsp;Michigan feels scorned at #5, but, hey, they lost two of their last three games and finished third in the Big Ten East. &nbsp;Oklahoma complains, Clemson mutters, and a bunch of two-loss teams grouse.<br /><br />The #1-vs.-#4 game has Alabama as a 9-point favorite, but when the game goes to the half at 14-10 in Alabama's favor, everybody wonders if Penn State will have yet another one of their patented second-half scoring binges. &nbsp;And so they do: &nbsp;The final score is a shocking 38-17, punctuated by three second-half Alabama turnovers. &nbsp;Ohio State defeats Washington in the other semifinal, setting up a rematch of a memorable midseason game.<br /><br />Ohio State fans are forced to watch the field goal block for a solid week, over and over and over....<br /><br />And since it's my dream, Penn State will win the final, too, by a score of 24-21.<br /><br />National Champions.Kennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7669198373869931550.post-91975154076439878732016-11-03T12:47:00.000-04:002016-11-03T12:47:19.790-04:00My College Football Dream, Updated<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.61px;">11/3/16: &nbsp;If the rest of the college football season could go the way I want…</span></span><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.61px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.61px;">Penn State wins out the rest of the regular season to finish 10-2 and 8-1 in conference play. &nbsp;They become increasingly dominant each week, never giving up fewer than 14 points nor scoring fewer than 38. &nbsp;After a surprising #12 ranking in the CFP, they continue to move upward. &nbsp;But they need a little bit of help…</span></span><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.61px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.61px;">Michigan ends up laying an egg against Iowa, so the Big Ten East comes down to “The Game,” during which Ohio State fulfills another part of the dream by defeating Michigan, 28-17. &nbsp;Penn State wins the East outright (Nebraska's Shocker at the Shoe accounts for the rest of that story) and moves to the Big Ten title game against a one-loss Nebraska squad. &nbsp;They have people reminiscing about OSU’s thrashing of Wisconsin a couple years later, winning 56-0, and making a strong case for inclusion in the College Football Playoff, despite a two-loss season.</span></span><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.61px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.61px;">But they need help. &nbsp;And they get it.</span></span><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.61px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.61px;">The Big 12, as usual, falls into something resembling chaos. &nbsp;No team ends the season with fewer than two losses, and a three-loss Oklahoma (thank you, Oklahoma State) team ends up being the conference champion. &nbsp;Baylor and West Virginia fade badly down the stretch. &nbsp;No team from the conference has a chance at the CFP.</span></span><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.61px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.61px;">The ACC is only marginally less chaotic. &nbsp;Clemson ends the regular season undefeated. &nbsp;Louisville gives up a shocking 61 points to Houston and takes a second loss. &nbsp;In the conference championship game, North Carolina, taking the tiebreaker over Pitt, pulls a shocker and defeats Clemson, 34-27. &nbsp;However, no one expects a three-loss UNC team to be invited to the CFP. &nbsp;Clemson, looking increasingly worse but escaping each game in the final weeks of the season, tries to pull the “But we only have one loss” card.</span></span><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.61px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.61px;">The Pac-12 sorts itself out cleanly, with Washington winning out; at 13-0, their invite is secure.</span></span><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.61px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.61px;">The SEC gets interesting. &nbsp;Florida wins the SEC East; the rescheduled Florida-LSU game, lost by Florida, ends up being inconsequential. &nbsp;In the SEC West, Alabama wins out, with no other team having fewer than two conference losses. &nbsp;[Note—My updated dream regarding Alabama goes something like this: &nbsp;They lose three of their final four regular season games, barely beating Chattanooga before Auburn posts another 56-3 smackdown in the Iron Bowl. &nbsp;Nick Saban is not seen in public again until the following Wednesday, when he shows up in the Big Ten, for the announcement of his new coaching gig with Purdue; he’ll leave Purdue three weeks later to become head coach of the Cleveland Browns. &nbsp;He is burned in effigy throughout the post-Iron-Bowl week in no fewer than 51 Alabama towns and villages.] &nbsp;Florida makes Alabama look pretty bad for three quarters before committing two costly turnovers and losing by three. &nbsp;Alabama heads to the playoff.</span></span><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.61px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.61px;">The CFP committee has no trouble ranking Alabama #1 and Washington #2 (although there is discussion about switching them), but has to decide among other teams for the two remaining slots. &nbsp;Clemson has one loss but didn't win its own conference. &nbsp;Western Michigan finishes the season undefeated, but their strength of schedule is appalling. &nbsp;North Carolina and Oklahoma win their conferences—but each has three losses.</span></span><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.61px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.61px;">The announcement is controversial, and stirs up strife among certain fan bases, but the committee takes Clemson as the #3 seed and Penn State, champion of the Big Ten, as #4. &nbsp;Western Michigan subsequently gets a Big Six bowl; they will eventually shock Oklahoma with a pick-six in the final minute to win by 14. &nbsp;[WMU will subsequently go on a stretch where they win the MAC five times in six years and win a total of three bowl games against Power 5 conferences; they also become the first FBS team in a decade to beat North Dakota State.]</span></span><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.61px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.61px;">The opening game on December 31 features Washington and Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl. &nbsp;Washington, a 6-point favorite, covers the spread by winning 31-24. &nbsp;The late game is surprisingly won—surprising both for score and victor—by Penn State by a 31-24 margin. &nbsp;Penn State forces three turnovers and gets enough offense to send Alabama home.</span></span><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.61px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.61px;">After Ohio State defeats Utah in the Rose Bowl, there is a lot of talk about the Big Ten-Pac 12 championship matchup. &nbsp;Will the Big Ten win again? &nbsp;Will the Pac 12 team take home the trophy? &nbsp;[SEC fans grumble about a two-loss team being in the championship game, proving that irony is still alive and well.]</span></span><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.61px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.61px;">It’s my dream, so I say that Penn State beats Washington, 24-21, to take home the trophy.</span></span>Kennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7669198373869931550.post-8797180151650313352016-10-23T22:06:00.002-04:002016-10-23T22:06:46.057-04:00My College Football Dream<span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">10/23/16: &nbsp;If the rest of the college football season could go the way I want…</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">Penn State wins out the rest of the regular season to finish 10-2 and 8-1 in conference play. &nbsp;They become increasingly dominant each week, never giving up fewer than 14 points nor scoring fewer than 38. &nbsp;But they need a little bit of help…</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">Michigan ends up laying an egg against Iowa, so it comes down to “The Game,” during which Ohio State fulfills another part of the dream by defeating Michigan, 28-17. &nbsp;Penn State holds the tiebreaker and moves to the Big Ten title game against a still-undefeated Nebraska squad. &nbsp;They have people reminiscing about OSU’s thrashing of Wisconsin a couple years later, winning 56-0, and making a strong case for inclusion in the College Football Playoff, despite a two-loss season.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">But they need help. &nbsp;And they get it.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">The Big 12, as usual, falls into something resembling chaos. &nbsp;No team ends the season with fewer than two losses, and a three-loss Oklahoma (thank you, Oklahoma State) team ends up being the conference champion. &nbsp;Baylor and West Virginia fade badly down the stretch. &nbsp;No team from the conference has a chance at the CFP.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">The ACC is only marginally less chaotic. &nbsp;Clemson ends the regular season undefeated. &nbsp;Louisville gives up a shocking 61 points to Houston and takes a second loss. &nbsp;In the conference championship game, North Carolina, taking the tiebreaker over Pitt, pulls a shocker and defeats Clemson, 34-27. &nbsp;However, no one expects a three-loss UNC team to be invited to the CFP. &nbsp;Clemson, looking increasingly worse but escaping each game in the final weeks of the season, tries to pull the “But we only have one loss” card.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">The Pac-12 sorts itself out cleanly, with Washington winning out; at 13-0, their invite is secure.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">The SEC gets interesting. &nbsp;Florida stinks up their game against Georgia and Tennessee wins the SEC East; the rescheduled Florida-LSU game ends up being inconsequential. &nbsp;In the SEC West, Alabama wins out, with no other team having fewer than two conference losses. &nbsp;[Note—My real dream regarding Alabama goes something like this: &nbsp;They lose three of their final four regular season games, barely beating Chattanooga before Auburn posts another 56-3 smackdown in the Iron Bowl. &nbsp;Nick Saban is not seen in public again until the following Wednesday, when he shows up in Columbia, SC, for the announcement of his new coaching gig with South Carolina; he’ll leave SC three weeks later to become head coach of the Cleveland Browns. &nbsp;He is burned in effigy throughout the post-Iron-Bowl week in no fewer than 47 Alabama towns and villages.] &nbsp;Tennessee makes Alabama look pretty bad for three quarters before committing two costly turnovers and losing by three. &nbsp;Alabama heads to the playoff.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">The CFP committee has no trouble ranking Alabama #1 and Washington #2 (although there is discussion about switching them), but has to decide among other teams for the two remaining slots. &nbsp;Ohio State, Nebraska, and Clemson each have one loss but none won their own conference. &nbsp;Western Michigan finishes the season undefeated, but their strength of schedule is appalling. &nbsp;North Carolina and Oklahoma win their conferences—but each has three losses.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">The announcement is controversial, and stirs up strife among certain fan bases, but the committee takes Clemson as the #3 seed and Penn State, champion of the Big Ten, as #4. &nbsp;Western Michigan subsequently gets a Big Six bowl; they will eventually shock Oklahoma with a pick-six in the final minute to win by 14. &nbsp;[WMU will subsequently go on a stretch where they win the MAC five times in six years and win a total of three bowl games against Power 5 conferences; they also become the first FBS team in a decade to beat North Dakota State.]</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">The opening game on December 31 features Washington and Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl. &nbsp;Washington, a 6-point favorite, covers the spread by winning 31-24. &nbsp;The late game is surprisingly won—surprising both for score and victor—by Penn State by a 31-24 margin. &nbsp;Penn State forces three turnovers and gets enough offense to send Alabama home.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">After Ohio State defeats Utah in the Rose Bowl, there is a lot of talk about the Big Ten-Pac 12 championship matchup. &nbsp;Will the Big Ten win again? &nbsp;Will the Pac 12 team take home the trophy? &nbsp;[SEC fans grumble about a two-loss team being in the championship game, proving that irony is still alive and well.]</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">It’s my dream, so I say that Penn State beats Washington, 24-21, to take home the trophy.</span><br /><div><br /></div>Kennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7669198373869931550.post-89674942949563081442014-10-26T21:32:00.000-04:002014-10-26T21:33:26.177-04:00Thoughts on Last Night's Penn State-Ohio State GameLast night Penn State's football team, weakened by the past few years of scholarship reductions and the like, and following a dreary first half, came back and nearly had a huge upset of favorite Ohio State.&nbsp; I watched the game on TV and had two primary thoughts.<br /><br /><br />1) Penn State has the best football fans in the college universe.&nbsp; I've only ever been to two games in Happy Valley (one was a night game), so I know that there are a lot of fun-loving, friendly people who attend their football games.&nbsp; But last night, the fans were raucous, fervent, and just plain LOUD all game long.&nbsp; Even when the Nittany Lions were trailing by 17, the cheers were strong.<br /><br /><br />For this reason alone, I hope I can someday go to a night whiteout game.<br /><br /><br />2) The referees were a major factor in the game—and shouldn't have been.&nbsp; There were two huge calls that favored Ohio State in the first half.&nbsp; My wife claims there was a semi-bogus roughing the passer call in the second half (it was one of the rare moments when I wasn't watching, so I can't say) that kept a Penn State drive alive.&nbsp; Even the coin toss to start overtime seemed to be ineptly handled.&nbsp; <br /><br /><br />It's time to go out and prepare for next Saturday's game, team, so remember: We are...Penn State!!Kennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7669198373869931550.post-41642242600630497692013-10-07T07:00:00.000-04:002013-10-07T07:00:11.477-04:00The Testimony of Philip P. Bliss, Hymnwriter and Song LeaderA couple weeks ago, our church choir did a concert that shared the story of the life of Philip P. Bliss, a 19th-century hymnwriter, song leader, and "chorister" [choir director] from Chicago.&nbsp; Although he died at the young age of 38, he write many hymns and songs, and is best known for "It Is Well With My Soul," written after his four young children perished in a shipwreck.<br /><br />Our church's choir director found the excerpt below and, at my request, shared it with me.&nbsp; I lifted it <a href="http://www.biblebelievers.com/bliss/mem_ch4.html" target="_blank">from this website</a>.&nbsp; You can also find it <a href="http://ppbmuseum.org/bio.php" target="_blank">here</a> (Chapter 4).&nbsp; It originally comes from a contemporary pastor's recollection of Bliss.<br /><br />Please notice that Bliss believed church music to be integral to the worship, and that, contrary to ideas widespread today, those who participated needed to be singing for their God's glory, not for their own; not for their own recognition, but for His.&nbsp; <br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">Few pastors, I am persuaded, are privileged to have in their choristers such gifted, sympathizing, efficient helpers. Too often, it is to be feared, the pulpit and the choir gallery are out of harmony as to the ends proposed, or the methods by which the ends agreed on shall be sought; and the cases are not few, nor hard to find, where in the handling of choir-leaders and those who abet them, the Lord's house is turned into a concert hall, the service of song made largely a device for filling and renting pews, and the minister compelled to sandwich his part in between performances that suggest anything but the worship of God or the salvation of men. Sometimes, indeed, he has to come to his duties in the pulpit after the world and the flesh and the devil have, through the fingers and lips of an unconverted organist and choir-leader, set things moving to their liking, and then turn the service over to them after the sermon, to be finished up as they elect. Doubtless the devil likes that way of conducting Sabbath services. If he can only get people's heads full of waltzes and operas and sonatas and what-not else, before the preaching comes, and then have a chance to follow it up with a march or an aria of his own selection, the preacher's thirty minutes of Gospel will not damage his interests. Little wonder that preaching in such circumstances saves few souls. It is like expecting harvest with the enemy invited to go before the toiler, sowing tares, and to follow him gathering up and snatching away the seed.<br /><br />To those who knew anything of P.P. Bliss, it will not be needful to say that he had no sympathy with any such idea of the music of the sanctuary. He shared to the fullest extent my feeling, that the disposition to make the song and service of God's house showy and entertaining was an abomination in God's sight. He held, as I did, that all music in connection with worship, whether by instrument or voice, should be consecrated and worshipful. In his conception, he who led at the organ should be one to come to the keys fresh from his closet, one who should pray, as his hands swept over the manuals, that the power of God might, through him, constrain the people's hearts to worship in spirit and in truth. So he believed that all who led in the service of song should sing with grace in their hearts; that the music should be strictly spiritual music - not selections made on grounds of taste, high musical character, but selections aimed at honoring God, exalting Jesus Christ, magnifying His Gospel - music, in a word, that God's Spirit could wholly own and use to comfort, strengthen, and inspire God's people, and lead unsaved souls to Christ. Accordingly, the highest devotional character marked all his selections, all his rehearsals, all his leadership in the Lord's house. It was his invariable custom to open his rehearsals by prayer. He often invited me to lead in that service, and to address the choir on the subject of the singing adapted to worship; and few weeks passed without his impressing the spiritual idea as the all-controlling one, and one never to be forgotten by those who were to lead the praises of the congregation.<br /><br />As Mr. Bliss stood in the choir gallery, partly facing the singers, during his leadership, there was exactly in front of him, in the eastern window of the transept a large crimson cross. Many times during rehearsals he would point thither, saying, "I am glad we have the cross always before us. Let us forget everything else when we sing. Let us seek to have the people lose sight of us, of our efforts, our skill, and think only of Him who died thereon, and of the peace, comfort. strength, joy He gives them that trust him." It is not strange that, with such a chorister in charge, all solicitude about anthems and voluntaries vanished from the preacher's mind. Whatever the selection, I knew it would be full of worship alike in the sentiment and the rendering, would prepare the way for the Word of God; and when the sermon was ended, no matter what the final thought, whether admonition, encouragement or appeal, I always felt sure that the choirister's heart was one with mine, perfect confidence that the impression sought to be produced would be deepened. </blockquote>Kennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7669198373869931550.post-11205171373621722022013-10-06T17:19:00.000-04:002013-10-06T23:03:11.354-04:00On the Folly of Sports BettingDisclaimer:&nbsp; I do not bet on sports events of any kind, nor would I encourage anyone to do so.&nbsp; This post simply gives my observations.<br /><br />Last night, in college football, Ohio State traveled to Northwestern and, after trailing for much of the game, came from behind to win, 40-30.&nbsp; But it was the way the game ended that drew my attention.&nbsp; Ohio State had scored a go-ahead touchdown with 5:22 remaining in the fourth quarter to take a 34-30 lead.&nbsp; On Northwestern's ensuing possession, they turned it over on downs.&nbsp; Ohio State killed most of the remaining time on the clock before facing fourth down and punting.&nbsp; Northwestern had 21 seconds remaining and eighty-four yards to travel.<br /><br />Northwestern was then sacked for a nine-yard loss on first down, moving them back to the seven yard line.&nbsp; After stopping the clock with just a few seconds left, a short pass was thrown, followed by some slopping lateraling, a fumble, and a <a href="http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/video?gameId=332780077&amp;vid=9779664" target="_blank">group of OSU players falling on the ball in the end zone for a touchdown</a>.&nbsp; (No PAT was attempted, since time had expired.)<br /><br />Being a math-oriented, statistics-enjoying kind of person, I looked up the betting line for the game.&nbsp; Ohio State was, depending on the bookies chosen, about a 6.5-to-7-point favorite.&nbsp; By scoring the goofy last-play touchdown, all of those who took OSU to cover the spread were suddenly very, very happy.&nbsp; Those who took the opposite play were probably either horrified or dejected.&nbsp; <br /><br />What struck me as interesting was that at no time during the game, except at the end of the final play, was Ohio State <em>ever</em> ahead by more than four points.&nbsp; And for that matter, Ohio State never came close to taking a bigger lead than four points, particularly in the fourth quarter.<br /><br />I do not mean to imply any betting-related shenanigans here regarding the conduct of the game.&nbsp; My point is this:&nbsp; Betting is taking a risk that could easily—and unexpectedly—cost you money.&nbsp; To gamble one's money on sports is to be a poor steward of it.&nbsp; Even what appears to be a "sure thing" can suddenly turn out to be a deep and unsettling loss.&nbsp; Steer clear of the temptations to wager.<br /><br />In related news, that touchdown <a href="http://linemakers.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/2013-10-06/ohio-state-northwestern-point-spread-cover-line-las-vegas-bad-beat-joey-bosa" target="_blank">cost Nevada sports books $3-4 million</a>.Kennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7669198373869931550.post-81496201515536557802013-08-26T21:11:00.000-04:002013-10-06T23:04:10.220-04:00We Meet the GovernorsThat was really fun.<br /><br />Today, Gov. Nikki Haley came to Greenville, SC, to announce her intent to run for a second term as the governor of SC.&nbsp; She has done a great job so far, leading the state to one of the best economies in the nation and demonstrating how to govern from a conservative, fiscally prudent standpoint.&nbsp; And what she says, she does.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JQ_TUbozUQY/Uhv5494tsrI/AAAAAAAAAOI/l_xDJNXopA4/s1600/P8260165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JQ_TUbozUQY/Uhv5494tsrI/AAAAAAAAAOI/l_xDJNXopA4/s320/P8260165.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />To help her make this announcement, Senator Tim Scott served as the emcee for this event.&nbsp; He did a great job firing up the crowd and defining what it is conservatives should be doing.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zen0LdRQtEg/Uhv6XbZqANI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/4J3PPULObss/s1600/P8260150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zen0LdRQtEg/Uhv6XbZqANI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/4J3PPULObss/s320/P8260150.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Three of the nation's best GOP governors then came to the stage and spoke about Gov. Haley and the fine job she has done.&nbsp; First was Texas governor Rick Perry:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fhrTRv3Vxi0/Uhv6781CMUI/AAAAAAAAAOY/dafDNyFKfjs/s1600/P8260152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fhrTRv3Vxi0/Uhv6781CMUI/AAAAAAAAAOY/dafDNyFKfjs/s320/P8260152.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />He was followed by Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jagI5ARqsu0/Uhv7FWI8sGI/AAAAAAAAAOg/3lnXxP7DUp0/s1600/P8260154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jagI5ARqsu0/Uhv7FWI8sGI/AAAAAAAAAOg/3lnXxP7DUp0/s320/P8260154.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />And finally, the governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dfl4c1ID73o/Uhv7RjNmNGI/AAAAAAAAAOo/hf4Vnwkm4BI/s1600/P8260155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dfl4c1ID73o/Uhv7RjNmNGI/AAAAAAAAAOo/hf4Vnwkm4BI/s320/P8260155.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GHmo7lJH_yw/Uhv7XjkOQLI/AAAAAAAAAOw/2JctmVQQOpM/s1600/P8260158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GHmo7lJH_yw/Uhv7XjkOQLI/AAAAAAAAAOw/2JctmVQQOpM/s320/P8260158.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Each of the governors stayed for various periods of time to mingle with the crowd, and my family got to meet all four of them.&nbsp; Governor Jindal stayed the longest, and impressed me with his talkative nature (which, admittedly, is an asset in his line of work) and the sincere enjoyment he seemed to take in meeting total strangers.&nbsp; He spent more than two minutes with my own children, having a wide-ranging conversation that I caught on video:&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;(still haven't figured out how to make this work...)</div><br />I hope you listen carefully to what he said to the kids.&nbsp; I found it satisfying that he encouraged my kids to read their Bibles, even though there was no obvious evidence that we were Christians (in other words, we had not explicitly said so).&nbsp; I hope you enjoy the video, and if you get a chance to vote for Bobby Jindal, Scott Walker, Rick Perry, or Nikki Haley&nbsp;in the future, please consider doing so.Kennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7669198373869931550.post-48426712316959218732013-05-12T22:26:00.001-04:002013-10-06T23:04:33.525-04:00Why $50,000 Wouldn't Change My LifeSo many people think that a sizable sum of money would change their lives.&nbsp; Perhaps it would, or perhaps only for a time.&nbsp; But after some contemplating, I came to the conclusion that if I suddenly came into possession of an extra $50,000, it wouldn't change my life all that much.<br /><br />Why?&nbsp; Because of what I would do with it.&nbsp; Here's the summary.<br /><br /><strong>Tithe</strong>:&nbsp; I would give at least $5,000 to my church.&nbsp; Balance: $45,000.<br /><br /><strong>Retirement Savings</strong>:&nbsp; There are two major reasons why it would be wise to maximize the amount of this part of the windfall.&nbsp; First, to mitigate the tax consequences of my sudden jump in income.&nbsp; Second, because it is the wise thing to do.&nbsp; Ideally, I would like to retire before I die.<br /><br />Since my wife and I are still well short of the age of 50, we can each put a maximum of $5,000 into an IRA, and we would do so.&nbsp; Furthermore, I would immediately, and for the rest of the calendar year, sharply increase the amount I put into my 401(k) at work, compensating for a smaller paycheck by drawing from the windfall.&nbsp; Depending on the time of year, I could possibly see $15,000 moved into tax-sheltered retirement savings.&nbsp; Balance:&nbsp; $30,000.<br /><br />[Note: Some of you might be wondering whether my wife and I would use&nbsp;traditional or Roth IRAs; conceivably, we could each open a different kind.&nbsp; I don't know.&nbsp; I would consult people more knowledgable than myself.&nbsp; The suddenly-higher marginal tax rate for the windfall year would make me lean toward a traditional IRA, but further research would be required.]<br /><br /><strong>Taxes</strong>:&nbsp; The amount of the $50,000 subject to income tax (both state and federal) would be diminished by the tithe, the amount going to the 401(k), and the amount going into traditional IRAs.&nbsp; Even if it dropped all the way to $30,000, I would plan about $10,000 for taxes.&nbsp; Balance:&nbsp; $20,000.<br /><br /><strong>Big-ticket Items</strong>:&nbsp; Most likely, the balance would be going toward one or more big-ticket items.&nbsp; A new car.&nbsp; A remodeled kitchen or bathroom.&nbsp; A hot tub on the patio&nbsp;(in my dreams).&nbsp; A daughter's wedding.&nbsp; Consequently, most of the remaining $20,000 would be put into savings until such time as it is needed.<br /><br /><strong>Anything Else?</strong>&nbsp; Sure.&nbsp; We'd probably take a week's family vacation somewhere we would really like to go.&nbsp; And a celebratory dinner at Olive Garden.&nbsp; I might get a new suit. &nbsp;But really...not much else.&nbsp; To fritter the final $20,000 on a miscellaneous wishlist of not-really-needed items would be wasteful.<br /><br />And I certainly wouldn't quit my day job.Kennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7669198373869931550.post-60072702741926248652012-11-18T20:16:00.004-05:002012-11-18T20:18:24.061-05:00A Hymn of Thanksgiving"Now Thank We All Our God" is a hymn we sung in church this morning; unfortunately, it is one that typically just gets sung around late November.&nbsp; It is, however, a great hymn with a great story behind it.&nbsp; From the <a href="http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/n/o/w/nowthank.htm" target="_blank">Cyber Hymnal</a> website:<br /><br /><span style="color: #741b47;">Rinkart, a Lu­ther­an min­is­ter, was in Eil­en­burg, Sax­o­ny, dur­ing the Thir­ty Years’ War. The walled ci­ty of Eil­en­burg saw a stea­dy stream of re­fu­gees pour through its gates. The Swed­ish ar­my sur­round­ed the ci­ty, and fa­mine and plague were ramp­ant. Eight hund­red homes were de­stroyed, and the peo­ple be­gan to per­ish. There was a tre­men­dous strain on the pas­tors who had to con­duct do­zens of fun­er­als dai­ly. Fi­nal­ly, the pas­tors, too, suc­cumbed, and Rink­art was the on­ly one left—doing 50 fun­er­als a day. When the Swedes de­mand­ed a huge ran­som, Rink­art left the safe­ty of the walls to plead for mer­cy. The Swed­ish com­mand­er, im­pressed by his faith and cour­age, low­ered his de­mands. Soon af­ter­ward, the Thir­ty Years’ War end­ed, and Rinkart wrote this hymn for a grand cel­e­bra­tion ser­vice. It is a test­a­ment to his faith that, af­ter such mis­e­ry, he was able to write a hymn of abid­ing trust and gra­ti­tude to­ward God.</span><br /><br />Here are the words to the three stanzas of the hymn:<br /><br /><span style="color: #741b47;">Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,<br />Who wondrous things has done, in whom this world rejoices;<br />Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way<br />With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.</span><br /><span style="color: #741b47;"></span><br /><span style="color: #741b47;">O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,<br />With ever joyful hearts and blessèd peace to cheer us;<br />And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;<br />And free us from all ills, in this world and the next!</span><br /><span style="color: #741b47;"></span><br /><span style="color: #741b47;">All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given;<br />The Son and Him who reigns with Them in highest Heaven;<br />The one eternal God, whom earth and Heaven adore;<br />For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.</span>Kennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7669198373869931550.post-71410148193421047832012-11-17T16:34:00.004-05:002012-11-17T16:39:39.318-05:00An Excellent Perspective on IsraelI am on an email list from <a href="http://shalomnyc.org/" target="_blank">Shalom Ministries</a>, a NYC-based ministry to bring the good news of Christ to the&nbsp;Jewish people.&nbsp; Craig Hartman, its founder, sent out an email last evening regarding the situation in Israel.&nbsp; I am copying it here.<br /><br /><br />Greetings friends,<br /><br />By now you all have, no doubt, heard about the barrage of rockets being launched against Israel from the Palestinian-controlled territories. For those of you who follow us on Facebook, you already are receiving frequent updates on what is happening through that resource. Many news outlets are covering the violence. Too much is happening to try to review it all here, but all believers should track what is happening.<br /><br />In light of these events, I wanted to share a few thoughts as we watch the matter unfold together. It should be noted that within the last week over 600 rockets have been launched against Israel. This barrage is different than ones in the past because of the number of rockets within such a short period of time and especially because of the locations where the rockets are landing. Now, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem neighborhoods are being hit as well as the areas in the south near Gaza. That is new. Many of the rockets are being intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome, but sadly a number have hit, and there have been a few deaths of innocent civilians. Amazingly, some in the world community are blaming Israel and labeling her defensive actions as aggression. America has condemned the attacks and expressed Israel's right to defend herself. The recent actions are very bold, without any pretense, to the point that Hamas is actually tweeting its actions and intended targets. It is a very tense and sad time for the people of Israel and a matter of great concern for all of us who love the people and the land. <br /><br />In addition to tracking the news in the region, we are also in contact with friends there. Israelis are a tough people and have a great attitude even in these times. I received an e-mail from an unsaved friend, who lives in southern Israel. He wrote from his bunker and was matter of fact about the realities of their situation. He also expressed that he was looking forward to when we are back in Israel to visit him. I have spoken with another friend in Tel Aviv, who told me that the people there are encouraging each other to celebrate their lives in the land in spite of the difficulties, and that many entertainment and other public facilities and gathering places were removing all charges for attendance. The theaters were full last night. The spirit of life and strength is always demonstrated by the Israeli people. They will not be intimidated by terror.<br /><br />The timing of all of this is rather interesting in that it all started just two days after the US election, and there is a new election coming in Israel in just a couple of months. Further, the Palestinian Authority has recently reiterated its intention to raise its status at the United Nations. Interesting indeed. I am not speculating here, just noting the fascinating timing of it all. In any event, we must not be surprised by any of this, and we must remember that God is still on the throne. We know that Israel will not be destroyed (Jeremiah 31), and we know that a far worse time will be experienced by her and the entire world during the Seventieth Week of Daniel. Perhaps these current events can cause us to remember the terrible events that are yet to come in the future and motivate us to reach out to the very dark world around us before it is too late. <br /><br />As Israelis celebrate the Sabbath, we should all be praying for Israel, Jerusalem, and the Jewish people. We should be praying for the salvation of Palestinian people. Their only hope is the Lord, and He is the only cure for the evil that consumes their leaders.<br /><br />I also want to suggest that the attitude of the Israelis at this time should challenge us all about how we respond to living in the midst of constant attack. I have been challenged to celebrate light and life in the midst of the darkness and hatred around me.<br /><br />I can only imagine that times will become more and more difficult for people throughout the world, and we know Israel will be at the center of it all. The Bible is very clear about that. My heart is aching for my people, and I am having difficulty on a personal level just hearing what is happening and the reaction of some in the world community. Please join with us in lifting up sacrifices of praise to the Lord and heartfelt prayers for the people throughout the Middle East. Please pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for our country. This is also a test for America. These are perilous times indeed, and we must hold each other up as the day approaches.<br /><br />Blessings,<br /><br />Craig HartmanKennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7669198373869931550.post-34839723131928790312012-08-04T15:50:00.001-04:002012-08-04T15:50:16.917-04:00My Biennial Olympic RantEvery two years we get to observe the Olympic games; now we're in the middle of the Summer Olympics.&nbsp; For the most part, they are quite enjoyable.&nbsp; The opening ceremonies, with the parade of athletes (ever wonder if any of those people from Montenegro will medal?), is usually memorable, if perhaps a bit esoteric.&nbsp; And the British did a good job this year.<br /><br />But I cannot help but think that some of these Olympics events should be removed from future games.&nbsp; Let me review my criteria for something which should be part of the Summer games (similar criteria apply to the Winter games):<br /><br />1.&nbsp; Only sports which can be measured by strictly objective, quantitative criteria should be included.&nbsp; Events which require judges to "score" the events should be removed.&nbsp; <br /><br />Quantitative criteria are things like time (e.g., track and swimming races), distance (shot put, javelin), mass (weightlifting), or some clearly defined scoring system (basketball, soccer).&nbsp; Events like gymnastics and diving, which depend on the judgment of judges to determine this or that, are much too subjective and open to unethical judging.&nbsp; Referees and other officials, of course, will always be required.<br /><br />2.&nbsp; Only sports which are, or have been, participated in by large numbers of people, should be included.&nbsp; So, like it or not, soccer stays in.&nbsp; So do archery and shooting.&nbsp; For that matter, judo can stay, too.<br /><br />Corollary: Sports which are only participated in by minimal numbers of people in the present day should be dropped.&nbsp; Exception to corollary: Games that were part of the ancient Greek games (discus, javelin, etc.) are allowed to stay.<br /><br />3.&nbsp; Special considerations:&nbsp; Boxing goes.&nbsp; It is barbaric.&nbsp; Beach volleyball also goes.&nbsp; The only reason it's even an Olympic sport is because the women are...you know.&nbsp; BMX...is beyond ridiculous as an Olympic event.&nbsp; Any "sport" that looks like it belongs in the X Games not only violates #2 above, but should simply be moved to the X Games.<br /><br />Therefore, I would recommend also eliminating these sports from Olympic competition (and will consider others):<br /><br />Diving (violates #1)<br />Equestrian (#2; I'm not even sure what this involves beyond horses and some obstacles)<br />Field hockey (#2)<br />Gymnastics, Rhythmic gymnastics&nbsp;(#1)<br />Sailing (#2)<br />Synchonized...anything (#2)<br />Trampoline (#2; what actually do they do in trampoline?)<br /><br />Those are my thoughts.&nbsp; Yours?Kennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7669198373869931550.post-61362863624579254572012-06-04T20:49:00.002-04:002012-06-04T20:53:02.166-04:00In a Truly Liberal World....Sam loves his car.&nbsp; He's named the car "Lucy."&nbsp; Lucy had been his for years now, staying in his garage.&nbsp; He cares for her, washes her, changes her oil regularly, even cleans her tires.&nbsp; In short, he is truly in love with her.<br /><br />So Sam, being a liberal, decides to marry his car.&nbsp; <br /><br />Sam goes down to the courthouse and asks the clerk for a marriage license.&nbsp; He has an easy enough time filling out the demographic information for himself, but the part for the other "spouse" is a bit trickier.&nbsp; (Not to mention the fact that it looks suspicious that Lucy's actual age is 7.)&nbsp; He hands the completed paperwork to the clerk, who observes that "Lucy" not only lacks a last name, but is also not present.&nbsp; The clerk asks where Lucy is; Sam replies, quite naturally, that she is outside in the parking lot.&nbsp; The clerk asks if Lucy can come inside; Sam replies, quite naturally, that this is not logistically convenient.<br /><br />Sam explains that, in a truly liberal world, that the definition of marriage as between "one man and one woman," or as between "any two people" (as the truly liberal government recently redefined it) is discriminatory, and that marriage should be allowed between any two entities, as long as at least one of them is alive.&nbsp; (The current debate in truly liberal society is whether "not alive" is a discriminatory category.)&nbsp; Therefore, he wishes to marry Lucy.&nbsp; The clerk, puzzled by the novelty, gives in and processes the paperwork.<br /><br />Sam and Lucy go on a brief honeymoon highlighted by a trip to Fred's Auto Detailing.<br /><br />A few months later, Sam goes to Wal-Mart and upon departing, he realizes to his horror that someone has backed in to his beloved, defenseless Lucy and put an ugly gash in her bumper.&nbsp; He promptly takes her to the auto body shop, where Lucy is evaluated.&nbsp; Repairs are estimated to cost $823.46.&nbsp; Sam is asked how he will pay for it—cash, credit card, etc.&nbsp; Having realized an error in the process himself, he suddenly asks if Lucy should first have gone to a primary care provider, instead of this specialist.&nbsp;&nbsp;The body shop guys look at him like he's sucked on the exhaust pipe.&nbsp; After all, Sam explains, Lucy is his "wife," and she is carried on his insurance policy at work.&nbsp; The body shop guys suddenly decide that Sam really needs to find a "primary care provider" first and get that in order...and <em>then</em> return.&nbsp; <br /><br />Sam calls his health insurance company and demands that his spouse receive the prompt and humane care she deserves.&nbsp; The health insurance company responds that since Lucy's injuries are not life-threatening, she needs to go to a primary care provider first.&nbsp; They then wrangle over the fact that there are no primary care providers in-network that do auto body work.&nbsp; Eight months later, Sam finally extracts the money from the insurance company—less his deductible—and Lucy is "whole" again.<br /><br />Time goes by.&nbsp; Lucy is starting to show her age (she's 14 now), and Sam decides to bring home another car.&nbsp; This one is named Sally—and Sally is younger, faster, and goes longer between oil changes than Lucy.&nbsp; Being truly liberal, it never really occurs to Sam that marriage usually just involves two entities.<br /><br />Lucy and Sam still spend time together, but the love is cooling, and&nbsp;one day Lucy quits running.&nbsp; The auto shop guys—still wary of Sam; they have nicknames like "crackpot" for him back in the garage—report that Lucy's transmission is cooked.&nbsp; It will have to be replaced.&nbsp; The cost will be $2,321.87.&nbsp; Sam leaves Lucy at the shop and goes home to contemplate his choice.<br /><br />But in this truly liberal world, Sam really doesn't have a choice.&nbsp; What Sam's healthcare provider&nbsp;finally tells him is that auto shop care is now rationed, and unless he finds healthcare—I mean, in this case, transmission care—on the black market, Lucy will be forced into the Cash for Clunkers program.&nbsp; He has her hauled to the junkyard, where the proprietor gives him $75 for Lucy.&nbsp; (In Sam's truly liberal world, this is enough to put a third of a tank of gas in Sally.)Kennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7669198373869931550.post-6800073075864986312012-04-08T21:45:00.000-04:002012-04-08T21:50:46.097-04:00The Importance of the ResurrectionI want to share a few thoughts today, Easter Sunday, the day we celebrate Christ's resurrection, about the supreme importance of that event.&nbsp; Specifically, let's see what 1 Corinthians 15 says about it.<br /><br /><span style="color: blue;"><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">12</span></sup>Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? </span><br /><span style="color: blue;"><sup class="versenum" id="en-KJV-28732">13</sup>But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: </span><br /><span style="color: blue;"><sup class="versenum" id="en-KJV-28733">14</sup>And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. </span><br /><span style="color: blue;"><sup class="versenum" id="en-KJV-28734">15</sup>Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. </span><br /><span style="color: blue;"><sup class="versenum" id="en-KJV-28735">16</sup>For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: </span><br /><span style="color: blue;"><sup class="versenum" id="en-KJV-28736">17</sup>And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. </span><br /><span style="color: blue;"><sup class="versenum" id="en-KJV-28737">18</sup>Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. </span><br /><span style="color: blue;"><sup class="versenum" id="en-KJV-28738">19</sup>If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.</span> <br /><br />For us who are Christians, this is a sobering thought:&nbsp; If Christ did not rise from the dead, we are without hope and miserable!&nbsp; But the next verses give us great encouragment:<br /><br /><span style="color: blue;"><sup class="versenum" id="en-KJV-28739">20</sup>But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. </span><br /><span style="color: blue;"><sup class="versenum" id="en-KJV-28740">21</sup>For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. </span><br /><span style="color: blue;"><sup class="versenum" id="en-KJV-28741">22</sup>For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.</span> <br /><br />Christ was seen by many people after His resurrection, and two millenia of history testify to His living influence in the lives of countless Christians.&nbsp; And why?&nbsp; Because He is alive!Kennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7669198373869931550.post-13315789089119130012012-03-11T22:49:00.002-04:002012-03-11T22:51:56.680-04:00Biblical Thoughts on WorshipMy pastor at Colonial Hills Baptist Church (Taylors, SC) preached another sermon this evening in a series on biblical worship.&nbsp; It was another great installment in the series.&nbsp; Because his points were so valuable, I want to share all six of them here.<br /><br /><strong>1.&nbsp; Worship was not designed to be entertaining</strong>.&nbsp; Perhaps the most obvious problem with what is called "contemporary worship" is that it is, in fact, designed to entertain those in attendance.&nbsp; We are to "give unto the Lord the glory due unto&nbsp;His name" (Psalm 29:2, 96:8) whether or not it is admired by those around us.<br /><br />As&nbsp;a corollary point, special music is a ministry, not a performance.&nbsp; I do not believe it is appropriate to applaud special music in a church service, for that gives honor to the person(s) who provides the music, not the God about whom he or she is singing.&nbsp; Let the focus of the music be on Him.<br /><br /><strong>2.&nbsp; Worship is not primarily for the benefit of the individual</strong>.&nbsp; Worship is to give God His due, to ascribe to Him the worth which is His.&nbsp; It is not primarily to make us feel better (although, of course, it is certainly acceptable to feel better <em>because</em> you have worshipped biblically).<br /><br /><strong>3.&nbsp; Worship, in its precepts, practices, and principles, is not determined by man</strong>.&nbsp; It's not about you.&nbsp; It's not about me.&nbsp; It's about God, and He has a lot to say about how He is to be worshipped in His Word.&nbsp; To think that I have ideas about how to do it "better" is foolish.<br /><br /><strong>4.&nbsp; Worship is not primarily a time of asking but of surrendering</strong>.&nbsp; When we come to worship, we must surrender our will to do our own thing.<br /><br /><strong>5.&nbsp; Worship is not primarily to compliment the accomplishments of man</strong>.&nbsp; While there is a place and a time for congratulating and thanking those who are worthy of such, it is still not the focus of worship.&nbsp; That focus belongs to God.&nbsp; Corollary points about musicians can be made here, too.<br /><br />(Side note:&nbsp; It is altogether appropriate to thank the musicians who serve in church, especially if their music enhances biblical worship.&nbsp; We had a men's group this evening do a fine job singing a song with a clear message; for that I am especially thankful.)<br /><br /><strong>6.&nbsp; Worship is not primarily to obtain the accolades of man</strong>.&nbsp; If the pastor's sermon draws praise because of his eloquence, logical skills, or creative thought, and not for putting the attention of the congregation on God, there's a problem somewhere.&nbsp; Certainly, there are some pastors who are "menpleasers" instead of "servants of Christ" (Eph. 6:5-7); this is not conducive to true worship.<br /><br />Christians today need to stand strong against the "redefining" of worship to mean whatever man thinks it should mean.&nbsp; God speaks about the worship He demands; it is wise for us to read what He has given us.Kennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7669198373869931550.post-58705650071400962532012-02-05T21:44:00.002-05:002012-02-05T21:46:04.799-05:00An Update on our Friends' Adoption!Friends of ours adopted a 3½-year-old boy with Down's Syndrome from Eastern Europe last summer (<a href="http://wonderfullymadebyhim.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">see their blog here</a>).&nbsp; They have now had the boy in their home for six months.&nbsp; Their story has been featured on a local TV station and I'm sure many have viewed their blog.&nbsp; In short, their story not only testifies of God's love working through individuals, but also to&nbsp;the value of every individual soul—no matter the limitations of the physical body.<br /><br /><a href="http://wonderfullymadebyhim.blogspot.com/2012/02/to-russia-with-love.html" target="_blank">Six months later</a>, there are still trials and struggles, but there has been both remarkable progress and great blessings.&nbsp; The work that God has allowed them to be a part of has now reached all the way back to Russia, and we are so grateful for it!&nbsp; I trust you will take the time to read about it <a href="http://wonderfullymadebyhim.blogspot.com/2012/02/to-russia-with-love.html" target="_blank">here</a>.Kennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7669198373869931550.post-52024155251845716142012-01-20T18:40:00.000-05:002012-01-20T18:42:00.376-05:00Why I'm Voting for Rick Santorum in the SC Primary<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tomorrow, in the South Carolina GOP Presidential Preference primary, I will be voting for Rick Santorum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Here’s why.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I need to start out by saying that I haven’t been totally thrilled with any of the four remaining candidates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>All of them have obvious weaknesses of character and/or policy which will make their race against Obama less of a lock than it ought to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The Republican Party needs a leader of the Reagan type, who, like him in 1980, would win 40+ states and carry a mandate with him to Washington.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>But since we have four remaining candidates from whom to choose, and since any of them will be an improvement over the current president, I must choose from among them.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rick Santorum, on the whole, represents my views the most consistently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>He has been consistently and passionately pro-life, and wrote the bill that ended partial birth abortion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>On social issues, he and I are of one voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>He is also a firm believer in the Second Amendment (The NRA rates him A+).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>He opposed TARP, voted against McCain-Feingold and Frank-Dodd, and receives low ratings from both the ACLU and the AFL-CIO.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>While I am concerned about the trouncing he took in the 2006 Pennsylvania Senate race (and, for that matter, the trouncing he may get here in SC tomorrow, if the polls are valid), he is more demonstrably opposed to Obama than either Romney or Gingrich.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>His biggest liability in my eyes is that he does not come across as a leader.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Newt Gingrich, at the moment, would be my second choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>I agree with him on most issues—but he occasionally throws one out there that makes me scratch my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>His personal character history is a serious problem and, even if he has sincerely repented and stays on the right track, will be a detriment in the race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>(Obama, for all his flaws, has no hint of marital infidelity.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>I am also concerned that his ego may become a liability.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mitt Romney seems to be a conservative now, but my gut just doesn’t like the fact that he wasn’t while he was the governor of Massachusetts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>I think he can be a great executive, and if he is the GOP nominee, I will vote for him in November.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>But for now, I’m going with the most consistent conservative.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ron Paul is problematic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>His voting record is often meritorious and often puzzling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The ACLU rates him pretty favorably—that's a problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>His vicious and untrue attack ads concerning Santorum (being shown <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ad nauseam</i> this week on SC TV stations) trouble me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>His foreign policy ideas are dangerous to the future of our country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Please educate yourself on the candidates and then take the opportunity to vote.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Kennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7669198373869931550.post-67086846672824604032012-01-15T07:00:00.000-05:002012-01-15T07:00:02.009-05:00Thinking Like a Christian, Week 5: Ethics<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #000099; font-weight: bold;">What is right?</span></div><br />Logic demands no other conclusion than this: If we are to have a moral order and real values, there must be absolutes. To deny absolutes is, essentially, to deny moral values; or it merely makes values equivalent to individual opinion.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What is the basis of Christian ethics?</span> In short, it is God and His Word. God's moral nature is absolute and unchanging. He always hates evil and loves good; He never makes up new values according to some providential whim. Christian ethics is grounded in the character of the triune God. Some things conform to God's character; others do not. It is our responsibility to determine what does and what does not conform! Consequently, the Christian moral order is eternal and permanent, because it reflects God's unchanging character, and flows from the nature of the Creator to the nature of His creation.<br /><br />God's Word is His revelation to us. The Bible teaches us what is good and what is evil. <span style="color: #660000;">Sin is always a violation of God's moral order</span>. General revelation (creation) points out that a moral order exists; special revelation (the Bible) reveals its specifics. This moral order exists outside of man. It is not a creation of his mind, nor could it be.<br /><br />God and His Word fully explain the Christian moral order.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What are secular ethics?</span> It is interesting to observe that mankind has a "common moral heritage." Some sins, like murder, child abuse, and torture, are almost universally condemned, while some abstract values, like love, justice, or courage, are nearly always admired. Why? Naturalism certainly can't explain this. Could it be that God has made us capable of learning to discern right from wrong?<br /><br />Secular ethical systems have two major, insurmountable problems. First, in secular ethical systems, all morals are relative. There are no absolute standards to judge right from wrong; one's own impulses and opinions become the basis for ethics. "Broad is the way that leadeth to destruction" (Matt. 7:13) is the verse that comes to mind. The second major problem is that secular ethical systems are always based on man's thinking. Whether based on naturalistic, economic, or some other philosophy, human ideas are inadequate to form an ethical or moral code. Determining right from wrong becomes nothing more than a baseless exercise of debate.<br /><br />How should the Christian respond? First, we must recognize that the mind of man cannot create, invent, or discover any "new morals" or "new moral order." It simply can't be done. Christians also need to avoid thinking that there are any less-than-absolute moral values. There is no such thing. Furthermore, Christians need to recognize "new moralities" for what they are: Man's way of attempting to justify doing what he wants to do. This is a fallacy, and deviates from God's code. <span style="color: #660000;">Morality is to be a lifestyle for glorifying God</span>. Use your life to demonstrate what is right!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What do Christian ethics contain? </span> Obviously, then contain moral absolutes. The Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount are classic examples; reading them provides a wealth of information about right and wrong. Much of the Old Testament, in fact, describes God's moral order, and how He expects His creation to operate. <span style="color: #660000;">Jesus Christ, of course, is the living example of moral, ethical living</span>. He was and is the perfect role model. The call to follow Christ is perhaps the simplest way to sum up Christian ethics. As He said to Peter at both the beginning (Mark 1:17) and end (John 21:22) of His earthly ministry, "Follow me."<br /><br />The Christian also has responsibilities. Matthew 22:35-40 gives us what Christ called the two greatest commandments: To love God, and to love one's neighbor as one's self. This kind of love is not merely a form of compassion, but also requires us to be servantlike, meeting both the social and physical needs of others. Our love of God demands that we serve God (John 14:15), working to achieve His will for this world.<br /><br />We must also realize and remember the implications of sin. To sin is to come short of God's moral order. All have sinned, and sin demands judgment (Romans 3:23, 6:23). Those of us who have accepted Christ as Savior have had our judgment paid, and should serve God lovingly and humbly for the rest of our days. Sin also brings guilt, because God has made us to realize that we "fall short" of the perfection that His holiness demands. Indeed, we are taught that the law was given, to convince us that we fail to keep it (see the book of Galatians)!<br /><br />Once a person becomes a Christian, the proper response is to have a zealous desire to keep God's moral code—to do what is morally right. It is not for us only to espouse it; we must live it!<br /><blockquote style="color: #000099;">"The human mind has no more power of inventing a new value than of imagining a new primary colour or, indeed, of creating a new sun and a new sky for it to move in." C.S. Lewis, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Abolition of Man</span>, pp. 86-87.<br /><br />"The Christian ethical system is both like and unlike any other system ever postulated. Every ethical system contains some grain of the truth found in the Christian code, but no other system can claim to be the whole truth, handed down as an absolute from God to man." David Noebel, <span style="font-style: italic;">Thinking Like a Christian</span>, p. 88.</blockquote><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Reminder: This series of "Thinking Like a Christian" entries mirrors what I am teaching in my Sunday School class at Colonial Hills Baptist Church in Taylors, SC.&nbsp; This series goes on hiatus and will, God willing, be resumed later in the year, with&nbsp;five more lessons.&nbsp; The book </span><span style="color: #666666; font-style: italic;">Thinking Like a Christian</span><span style="color: #666666;"> is written by David Noebel and makes an excellent resource for the study of worldviews and how Christians ought to live in this present day.</span>Kennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7669198373869931550.post-58886950839703084272012-01-14T21:45:00.001-05:002012-01-14T21:47:20.406-05:00Thinking Like a Christian, Week 4: Psychology<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #000099; font-weight: bold;">What is the basic nature of man?</span></div><br />Is psychology a proper area of study for a Christian? Does it have an appropriate place in a Christian worldview? <span style="font-weight: bold;">Psychology is the study of the soul and the mind.</span> Although a massive topic (you can get a college major in it), it <span style="font-weight: bold;">is </span>appropriate for a Christian to study; indeed, <span style="font-weight: bold;">only </span>Christianity is suitable to study it! No other worldview can answer questions related to the soul and mind as well as Christianity can.<br /><br />Biblical Christianity contains a psychology, and it is worthy of our study. Since man was created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27), our worldview must recognize the significance of both the spiritual and the physical dimensions of man.<br /><br />Psychology does have an appropriate place as a scientific discipline, where scientific observation is employed to study and learn about the mind. Much good work has come from such study. Unfortunately, much of "modern psychology" is filled with the biases of secular worldviews, and is consequently filled with error. This does not mean that Christians should entirely abandon psychology; instead, they should bring God's truth to its study.<br /><br />Our minds are not merely physical objects; we have a "non-physical" part to our being. Our bodies may change and decay, but our minds remain continuous. Furthermore, man has a free will, which is an important element to consider in psychology.<br /><br />Six areas of psychology are of importance in this lesson:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What is human nature? </span> Man has a sin nature, which is a result of the fall (Genesis 3). This nature is inherently evil. When sin entered the world, man's relationship to God and his fellow man changed from what God intended it to be. Man has a natural tendency to rebel against God and His laws. <span style="color: #660000;">Man's sinful nature is the cause of all psychological problems. </span><br /><br />The doctrine of sin reminds us that each of us is responsible for his own behavior and choices. Mankind, because of sin, needs a Savior to give him a new nature.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What is guilt? </span>Because man has rebelled against God, he has real guilt feelings about his rebellion; his conscience tells him that he has done wrong. Secular psychologists must devise ways to "explain away" guilt and its source. Christians recognize that guilt exists, and that it is a real consequence of sin, not a mental problem foisted upon us by our society or our environment.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What is mental illness?</span> I will allow Jay Adams to speak on this subject:<br /><blockquote style="color: #660000;">"Organic malfunctions affecting the brain that are caused by brain damage, tumors, gene inheritance, glandular or chemical disorders, validly may be termed mental illnesses. But at the same time a vast number of other human problems have been classified as mental illnesses for which there is no evidence that they have been engendered by disease or illness at all....The fundamental bent of fallen human nature is away from God....Apart from organically generated difficulties, the 'mentally ill' are really people with unsolved personal problems." (Jay Adams, <span style="font-style: italic;">Competent to Counsel</span>, pp. 28-29)</blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">How should a Christian approach sin and guilt?</span> Counseling must first recognize that man has a conscience, man is rebellious, and man therefore experiences real guilt. People must be pointed toward Christ's sacrificial death and resurrection, and they must realize their need to ask forgiveness for sin (both to God and men). Counseling must also stress personal moral responsibility for sin. Failure to recognize one's own responsibility allows a person to deny his own real guilt and avoid the main problem—alienation from a holy God.<br /><br />Confession, forgiveness of sin through Christ (1 John 1:9), reconciliation with God (2 Cor. 5:17-21), and sanctification are requirements for a "healthy" walk in Christ.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">How should a Christian view suffering? </span> Secular psychology cannot alleviate all suffering in a person's life; indeed; it tries to avoid suffering at nearly any cost. Christian psychology believes that suffering can be used of God to bring about positive change in a person's life, whether it is disciplinary, to teach us valuable lessons, or even to teach us to "joyously endure" it. Suffering is inevitable due to sin, but it is not always negative.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Christian and Society:</span> Marxists and humanists believe that society is the source/cause of all "evil" in this world, but Christians believe that individuals are responsible for the evil in society. Consequently, no man can blame his sin on society, his environment, or anyone else.<br /><blockquote style="color: #660000;">"The choice between Christian psychology and all other psychological schools is clear-cut. As Kilpatrick says, 'Our choice...is really the same choice offered to Adam and Eve: either we trust God or we take the serpent's word that we can make ourselves into gods.'" (From <span style="font-style: italic;">Thinking Like a Christian</span>, p. 77; the quote is from William Kilpatrick's book <span style="font-style: italic;">Psychological Seduction</span>, p. 233)</blockquote>Kennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7669198373869931550.post-79178731130243854032011-12-04T22:55:00.001-05:002011-12-04T22:56:12.735-05:00Thinking Like a Christian, Week 3: Biology<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #000099; font-weight: bold;">What is the origin of life?</span></div><br />For much of the 20th century, belief in the literal creation account of Genesis was uncommon among believers. Other explanations of origins had gained ground at the expense of truth. Thankfully, in recent decades, belief in literal creation has regained some of that ground.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What does the Bible teach? </span> The Bible unmistakably teaches that God created everything, as described in Genesis 1:1-2:23. This is further emphasized in a variety of Bible passages; some of them include Mark 10:6-8, Ephesians 3:9, Colossians 1:16-17, Revelation 4:11, and Isaiah 40:26, 42:5, 43:1, 45:12, 45:18. Christians should recognize that the Bible gives us information about God <span style="font-style: italic;">and </span>His universe. Science can only give us information about God's universe.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What are the competing ideas?</span> Over the years, three have become prominent.<br /><ul><li>Theistic Evolution: This view teaches that God created the first "spark" of life, and then chose to use evolution as His vehicle to "direct" that creation over millions of years. This view has significant issues for the Christian. It undermines our understanding of God and our place in His universe. Evolution is a rather "inefficient" means of creating something; why would an omnipotent God use such an inefficient process? Why would God "meddle" with His creation, while subjecting it to running according to fixed laws? Perhaps most importantly, why would God use such a cruel technique, employing many mutations and generations of death and suffering, to create something (especially if Genesis said it was all "good" when He created it)? If theistic evolution is true, Genesis is little more than an allegory—if that. If Adam and his fall are not historical, is the rest of the Bible? If Jesus Christ is presented in the N.T. as analogous to Adam (see 1 Cor. 15), and Adam and the Fall are not historical, then the doctrines of sin and Christ's atonement for it collapse! And one last significant objection: If this theory is true, then death came into the world <span style="font-weight: bold;">before </span>Adam's sin—an impossibility, if one believes the Bible. I find it interesting that neither Bible-believing creationists nor secular evolutionists want to hold to this theory....</li><li>Darwinistic Evolution: As outlined in Charles Darwin's 1859 book, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Origin of Species</span>, life evolved through a lengthy series of small, graduated, and fortuitous changes, over millions of years, to what we observe today. This was the first widespread book that postulated our existence as occurring without the supernatural, which probably continues to explain its adherence today.</li><li>Punctuated Equilibrium: This theory says that evolution occurs in rapid "spurts" between longer periods of stasis. By the way, we must currently be in a period of stasis, since we don't observe evolution occurring today. This theory attempts to rescue Darwin's widely-disreputed ideas by putting them into a theory which is completely devoid of observational evidence.</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">What does the scientific evidence suggest?</span> First of all, scientists today can find no evidence of intermediate varieties of living things today—no "missing links." Furthermore, the fossil record shows absolutely no record of transitional forms—a fossil record that is far more complete than it was in Darwin's day. Creation is the more reasonable explanation. It is more in agreement with the observations!<br /><br />Here are some more arguments in favor of Biblical creation:<br /><ul><li>The teleological argument of the watch and the watchmaker: The presence of design implies the presence of a Designer. And the more we learn about our universe, the more we observe design.</li><li>Probability dictates that the quantity of "chance" needed to evolve everything is remote beyond comprehension. (Even to us math majors)</li><li>Even the simplest living thing, a bacteria cell which weighs about a trillionth of a gram and contains 100,000,000,000 atoms, is exceptionally complex.</li><li>DNA, which contains the genetic information of a cell, cannot be explained by evolution. DNA is produced with the help of at least twenty proteins found in the cell, and those proteins can only be produced at the direction of the DNA. It would seem that both DNA and cellular proteins must have been produced simultaneously! Despite its enormous complexity, it is found in even the very simplest of cells.</li><li>There has <span style="font-weight: bold;">never </span>been a demonstration of the development of life from non-life—not in nature, nor in the laboratory.</li><li>The presence of oxygen (and its relative, ozone) in the atmosphere is problematic for evolution; if it were present way back when, it likely would have oxidized with the chemicals "required for life," and if it weren't, those first little living things would have been destroyed by radiation.</li><li>The Second Law of Thermodynamics says the amount of energy available to do useful work in our universe is always getting smaller. Are we to believe that the moment when the greatest possible amount of available useful energy was available...was in the aftermath of the greatest explosion the universe has ever known (the "Big Bang")?!?</li><li>The gene pool of every species (animal, plant, etc.) has limits, beyond which they cannot stray, even with cross-breeding and selection. The Bible teaches that everything is to beget "after his kind."</li><li>Evolution requires that mutations be beneficial, but most "half-developed" forms would probably have no advantage and more likely be useless, not useful. If a limb evolved into a wing, an intermediate form would most likely be a bad limb—not a good wing.</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">We are all here as the result of the direct, creative action of God, and we must live accordingly!</span> Furthermore, we can remember that although belief in creation requires faith, belief in evolution requires more faith—evolution runs counter to reason, science, and history.<br /><blockquote style="color: #663300;">"The geological record is extremely imperfect and this fact will to a large extent explain why we do not find intermediate varieties, connecting together all the extinct and existing forms of life by the finest graduated steps. he who rejects these views on the nature of the geological record, will rightly reject my whole theory." Charles Darwin, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Origin of Species</span></blockquote>Kennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7669198373869931550.post-50221179195018134322011-11-27T20:24:00.001-05:002011-11-27T20:31:24.255-05:00Thinking Like a Christian, Week 2: Philosophy<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of all the topics in the "Thinking Like a Christian" series, this has got to be the hardest to distill, in understandable, concise, and yet sufficiently thorough language, into a 40-minute S.S. lesson! The word <span style="font-style: italic;">philosophy</span>, recognized by many as a Greek word meaning "love of wisdom", occurs only once in the entire Bible, in Colossians 2:8:</span><br /><blockquote style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are many "philosophies" out there. Some of them are almost comically erroneous; others are quite difficult to discern from truth. What are some important biblical truths about philosophy? I offer these observations:<br /><br />1. The most significant and important philosophical truth in the Bible is that Jesus Christ is the Logos (Word) of God (John 1:1-4). Christ is the explanation for the universe and everything in it. Furthermore, all the Christian doctrines of God, creation, design, etc., etc. are consistent with the findings of science, history, and personal experience. The philosophies that "spoil" you will teach you otherwise.<br /><br />2. The Bible does not ask the Christian to abandon reason in order to accept truth. Isaiah 1:18 reminds us: "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Understood in the context of salvation (a rather important topic in the Bible!), God asks us to use our reason to understand not only our need, but also His provision and gift of salvation. A great truth! 1 Peter 3:15 reminds us of our Christian duty to "be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear," which again emphasizes our need as Christians to reason with biblical truth.<br /><br />3. I offer this golden quote from Warren C. Young's book <span style="font-style: italic;">A Christian Approach to Philosophy</span>: </span><br /><blockquote style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The crucial problem is that some thinkers place their trust in a set of assumptions in their search for truth, while other thinkers place their trust in a quite different set of assumptions."</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our set of assumptions is found in the Bible. Everything else is "vain deceit."<br /><br />4. Christianity answers more of the deeper questions of life more completely than any other worldview. Again, this should not surprise us, since our philosophy and faith ought to founded in the Book which God Himself wrote.<br /><br />5. Philosophy leads us astray when it is based on "vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." What should we do with such philosophies that lead us astray? Read 2 Corinthians 10:5:</span><br /><blockquote style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cast them away! Know that God wants you to intentionally remove such philosophies from your life whenever they might exert a control over you. (One extra word to parents: Teach this to your children by precept and example—every single day! Teach them that thinking biblically is good, and that following the world's thinking is not good—it must be "cast down"!)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">Philosophy, of course, is a very broad subject; many books and dissertations exist on the topic. In this entry I want to discuss several areas of philosophy and how a Christian worldview deals with them.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">Faith and Epistemology</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">: Hebrews 11:1 defines faith; Epistemology is defined as "The branch of philosophy concerned with the nature</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">and origin of knowledge. Epistemology asks the question “Ho</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">w do we know what </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">we know?" in the </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><i face="arial">The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup> ed.</i></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"> This seems like an unresolvable paradox until we recognize that <span style="font-weight: bold;">all knowing requires faith</span>! Where is your faith? Is it in God, or something else? Edward T. Ramsdell is responsible for this great quote in his book, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Christian Perspective</span> (p. 42):</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"></span><blockquote style="color: black; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">"The natural man is no less certainly a man of faith than the spiritual, but his faith</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;">is in the ultimacy of something other than the Word of God.</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"></span><span style="font-size: 100%;">The spiritual man</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;">is no less certainly a man of reason than the natural, but his reason, like that of</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> every man, functions within the perspective of his faith."</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">Please note also that Christian philosophy does not throw out tests or reasons for truth. If anything, we are to consider the evidences that reason can employ.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Reconciling Science and Christian Philosophy</span>: One of the most repeated (and erroneous) statements on this subject is that these cannot peacefully coexist. The scientific method is actually a help to the Christian, for it is based on observations—and the Christian should be OK with that. Indeed, it is the man who believes life sprang from non-life or that a large explosion was the catalyst for the known universe that should be concerned with observations. Observations from the scientific method support the Christian's teleology (discerning God from His design) and cosmology (questions about the origin and nature of the universe).<br /><br />Scientific discoveries also support the conclusion that God exists. Here are four of them:</span><br /><ol style="font-family: arial;"><li><span style="font-size: 100%;">The Second Law of Thermodynamics (increasing entropy)</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 100%;">The apparent impossibility of spontaneous generation of life from non-life</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 100%;">DNA and genetic information theory</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 100%;">The "Anthropic Principle": The cosmos seems to be "fine-tuned" to accommodate human life</span></li></ol><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">It is also interesting to note that modern science, for the most part, was founded by men with a Christian perspective—men who, observing laws in nature, gave credit for those laws to an all-powerful Lawgiver.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">Metaphysics </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">(the branch of philosophy dealing with "first principles" and ultimate reality): The two main classes of metaphysics are plainly addressed by Christian philosophy.</span><br /><ul style="font-family: arial;"><li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Ontology—the nature of existence or being. Christians believe that God exists; God </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">is</span><span style="font-size: 100%;">.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Cosmology—the origin and nature of the universe. God created it, from nothing, as He described in Genesis 1.</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">Take, for example, the Mackinac Bridge. Does it exist? I have, by my count, crossed it five times, so I am going to say, Yes. Where did it come from? There are plenty of eyewitnesses (and probably a documentary on the History Channel) to its construction, so I'll assume it did not simply evolve at that location over a period of untold years.<br /><br />Do the universe, our planet, our human race, and the other uncounted things we see around us exist? If so, where did they come from? The answers: Yes; because God created them.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">The mind and the body are two different things</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">: Christians believe the mind, or consciousness, exists as a separate entity from the physical body. Admittedly, some of the other worldviews believe this also. We believe that the mind was created by God. The key implication is this: Matter exists, </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">and something other than matter exists</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">. Christians believe in both the material and the supernatural. The Bible teaches that the physical body is not the same as the soul or spirit in verses such as Daniel 7:15; Micah 6:7; Matthew 10:28; 1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:34; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; and James 2:26.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Christian philosophy represents a worldview that is entirely consistent with the Bible. The choice of a supernaturalist worldview (that there exists something beyond the natural) will have strong influence over many areas of a person's life. Life is meaningful and purposeful, and our beliefs must be shaped and directed according to a coherent, reasonable, biblical worldview—not "tossed to and fro" by whatever secularist teaching comes along.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And a final quote from Warren C. Young:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 100%;"></span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“In the same way it can be said that the Christian philosopher and theologian must be acquainted with the contending worldviews of his age.Philosophy, after all, is a way of life, and the Christian believes that he has the true way—the true pattern for living.It is the task of the Christian leader to understand the ideologies of his day so that he may be able to meet their challenge.The task is a never-ending one, for, although the Christian’s worldview does not change, the world about him does.Thus the task of showing the relevance of the Christian realistic philosophy to a world in process is one which requires eternal vigilance.To such a task, to such an ideal, the Christian leader must dedicate himself.”<i>A Christian Approach to Philosophy</i>, pp. 228-229.</span></blockquote>Kennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7669198373869931550.post-38674825656194805772011-11-19T13:47:00.001-05:002011-11-19T14:39:24.142-05:00Thinking Like A Christian, Week 1: Theology<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #000099; font-weight: bold;">Is there a God? What is God like?</span></div><br />Among the most profound of all questions are the two above. It is evident with just minimal thought that one's view of God's existence and person will effect one's thoughts, decisions, and actions <span style="font-style: italic;">every day</span>.<br /><br />Take, for example, those who hold an atheistic view—there is no god. They will see no purpose in life, since we simply came to be by chance. They will see no ultimate right or absolute good, and therefore will view law as something to be determined by majority vote, or even by caprice. Those who are pantheistic or those who hold to the teachings of another "god" (e.g., Allah) will have their own views on these and other questions.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">How do we learn about God?</span> The first way we learn about God is through <span style="font-weight: bold;">special revelation</span>, which includes the Word of God (the Bible) and the Person of Jesus Christ. We can learn more about God through these than any other avenue. Of course, to believe in God, we must believe that His Word is "inspired": That it is His very Word, communicated on purpose to us, and that it is entirely true to the very last word. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The inspiration of Scripture is fundamental; no one can deny it and still claim to be a Christian. To claim that the Bible is not God's Word is, in essence, to call the God of the Bible a liar. Faith cannot allow that.<br /><br />For the Bible to be true and accurate, it <span style="font-style: italic;">must be</span> divinely inspired! There is certainly plenty of evidence to support this view: Its exceptional unity, despite its diverse "authorship" (God authored all of it, of course, but used many different men in many different circumstances to pen the words [2 Peter 1:20-21]); its ability to change the lives of individuals for the better; its profound moral truth; its prophetic accuracy; and, certainly, so much more. An open-minded study of the Bible can leave no other conclusion.<br /><br />The person of Jesus Christ is not a myth. He was a real human being (fully man and fully God—my finite mind can't understand that completely, either) who really lived, died, and rose again on this earth, as the Gospels record. The Holy Spirit, who lives within each Christian from the time of salvation, plays a role in revealing the truth of Scripture and of Christ to us.<br /><br />This gives us so much more reason to make the study of Scripture an important and daily part of our lives.<br /><br />Another way we learn about God is through <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">general </span>revelation</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">:</span> The Creation. What we observe in the Creation speaks of a Creator God Who designed it all for a divine purpose. We learn about that purpose in the Bible. A classic example of this: A person, walking on a hike through the woods, finds a watch. It is in working order, appears clean, and shows the correct time. Does the person conclude that the watch has lain there forever? Does the person conclude that the watch both came into being and "found its way there" by mere vagaries of chance? No. He concludes that not only did someone make the watch, but also that the watch was brought to that point (probably unintentionally, of course) by someone. He may not know all the details, but he knows that the watch <span style="font-style: italic;">did not get there by itself.</span> The presence of design implies the existence of a designer. C.S. Lewis said,<br /><blockquote>“Suppose there were no intelligence behind the universe…In that case nobody designed my brain for the purpose of thinking. Thought is merely the by-product of some atoms within my skull. But if so, how can I trust my own thinking to be true? But if I can’t trust my own thinking, of course, I can’t trust the arguments leading to atheism, and therefore have no reason to be an atheist, or anything else. Unless I believe in God, I can’t believe in thought; so I can never use thought to disbelieve in God.” (From the book, p. 25; quoted from <span style="font-style: italic;">Broadcast Talks</span> [London: 1946, p. 37-38])</blockquote>God's revelation, particularly the special revelation of His Word, tells us much about God. No single blog entry or Sunday School lesson can do more than scratch the surface of Who God is. But several important worldview points stand out:<br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">There is only one God</span>. God makes this exceptionally clear in many passages, including Deuteronomy 4:35, 38; 1 Kings 8:60; Isaiah 45:5, 6, 14, 18, 22, and 46:9. He refers to Himself in Exodus 3:14 as the I AM THAT I AM. The very first of the Ten Commandments makes it very clear how we are to respond to this: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3).</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">God is a personal God</span>. He has what we humans might refer to as "personality," though His bears only faint resemblance to our own. He communicates and reveals Himself to men, as the Scriptures indicate in many places.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">The characteristics of God are found in the Bible.</span> Again, entire books could be written on every one of these (and they have been), but they include: He is sovereign (Daniel 4:34-35); He is moral (note that there are many passages, for example, where He distinguishes between good and evil, or between right and wrong); He is longsuffering, patient, and faithful (1 Corinthians 1:9); He is a Trinity (Matthew 28:19); He is powerful (Genesis 1:1 speaks adequately to this); He is holy (Leviticus 11:44-45, quoted in 1 Peter 1:15-16); and He is a judge (2 Timothy 4:1; Hebrews 10:30).</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;"><i>And just an extra word about God being a judge:</i>&nbsp;</span> The judgment of God is not a popular preaching topic.&nbsp; But that doesn't matter:&nbsp; The holiness of God necessitates the judgment of God.&nbsp; His holy nature is antithetical to sin.&nbsp; God must judge people because people are sinners.&nbsp; God does not take pleasure in judgment (Ezekiel 33:11), but He must judge because He is holy (Jude 15).&nbsp; Live, think, and act, knowing that the Judge sees you every moment.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;"><b>God is a Redeemer.&nbsp; </b></span>This is the great promise to mankind, the reason we can all rejoice, since it means that our eternal destiny doesn't have to be condemnation in hell. God is a loving and merciful God, "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). <span style="font-weight: bold;">His love is universal</span>—available to all men and women of every nation, people, or demographic polling group. <span style="font-weight: bold;">His love is gracious</span>—He loved us "while we were yet sinners" (Romans 5:8), sending His Son to die for us. <span style="font-weight: bold;">His love is sacrificial</span>—God willingly gave His own Son (John 3:16-17) to die for us. <span style="font-weight: bold;">His love is beneficial</span>—both in the benefit of eternal fellowship with God in Heaven (Romans 6:23b) and in the earthly benefits we enjoy every day as His children.</li></ul>These truths are not merely an academic review exercise in theology! Study them, to be sure, but remember that every day, you will think thoughts, make decisions, and take actions. Think, decide, and act based upon Who God is, what He has done and will do, and knowing that He is a Holy Judge. Let these impact your life totally.Kennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7669198373869931550.post-2281280272777134792011-11-15T22:35:00.004-05:002011-11-15T22:40:46.299-05:00Our Friends' Adoption: An Update<div>This summer friends of ours went to Russia and adopted a little boy, now four years old, with Down's Syndrome. Today "mom" updated her blog with uplifting photos of how well their new son is doing here in America. <a href="http://wonderfullymadebyhim.blogspot.com/2011/11/long-overdue-update.html">You can read about it here</a>.<br /><br /></div><div> </div><div>Of course, there are still a lot of challenges (take language, for example, and health), but it is a great blessing to see the willingness they have to cherish and raise up this little boy. Our prayers and encouragement go out to them.</div>Kennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7669198373869931550.post-74726426070500535632011-11-12T22:19:00.013-05:002011-11-12T22:37:35.242-05:00Thinking Like a Christian: An Introduction<div><div><div>This Sunday, November 14, I will be beginning a series of lessons from the book <em>Thinking Like a Christian</em> by David Noebel. Each week I hope to add to this blog a summary of the lesson for those who are unable to attend Colonial Hills Baptist Church in Taylors, South Carolina, to hear it in person. The topic is of primary importance to Christians. The series will recess in January and, God-willing, be resumed later in 2012.<br /><br /></div><div> </div><div>The introductory lesson discusses the importance of the topic. The textbook defines "worldview" as <strong><em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">any ideology, philosophy, theology, movement, or religion that provides an overarching approach to understanding God, the world, and man's relationship to God and the world</span></em></strong> (p. 6). Furthermore, every worldview has an answer to the three most basic questions:<br /></div><blockquote style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><div>Where did we come from?<br /></div>What's wrong with the world?<br />What is the solution to man's basic problems?</blockquote>The worldview promoted by the book (and by me, of course) is <strong><em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">biblical Christianity</span></em></strong>: The worldview that comes directly from the Word of God. It answers all three questions clearly, and does so in a way that offers hope and eternal security to every man and woman.<br /><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>Everyone has a worldview. Most can't explain their own worldview clearly or concisely, but everyone has one. Many Christians today are not taught, and frequently do not even consider, the importance of thinking biblically...which is probably why most Christians are not functioning as salt and light, and most are having little influence on the world around them—some, sad to say, have little influence even among their own families and friends. <strong>Most Christians today are more impacted by the world's worldviews than by the Bible's. If we are to reach the world for Christ, this must change.<br /><br /></strong></div><div> </div><div>The textbook divides a biblical worldview into ten categories, around which the text and the lessons are organized:<br /></div><blockquote style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-weight: bold;">Theology<br />Philosophy<br />Biology<br />Psychology<br />Ethics<br />Sociology<br />Law<br />Politics<br />Economics<br />History </blockquote>We will forego any discussion of whether a more suitable organization exists, except to say that many of the topics do overlap in our world, and all are important for the Christian to understand and discern. I think this organization works well.<br /><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>Each of these ten categories is addressed in the Bible. Each has ramifications in our own lives, and demands that we understand how to biblically interact with it. Each impacts the others, and each demands some basic assumptions about the nature of reality—the reality of the creation in which God has placed us. We will see in subsequent lessons that each of them is dealt with even in the earliest chapters of Genesis and throughout the Bible; furthermore, Christ is manifested in His Word as having significance in each area.<br /><br /></div><div> </div><div>Once upon a time, America, for the most part, had a biblical worldview. That is clearly not the case today. Every topic in the list above, in our country today, is dominated or under attack from perspectives which eminate from non-biblical worldviews. We Christians lament this. But we shouldn't just whine and lament: We need to educate ourselves, our fellow Christians, and the world about what the Bible says on these things! Sure, the world needs Christ, and we need to share the Gospel with everyone, as Scripture clearly teaches. But we also need to be making clear what the Bible says about the other aspects of life; the Holy Spirit can use this kind of teaching, too, to impress upon the hearts of the unsaved the truth of His Word and the need of His salvation. Think of it as teaching the "all the counsel of God" (Acts 20:27).<br /><br /></div><div> </div><div>1 Peter 3:15 says that we must "sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." Understanding and having a Christian worldview will help you to do that. Remember, too: There is no difference between the sacred and the secular in the Christian's life; all of life is sacred to the Christian.<br /><br /></div><div> </div><div>The other worldviews do not provide satisfaction. Colossians 2:4-8 reminds each of us that the "wisdom of this world" will "spoil" you—literally, it will carry you away captive! Only in Christ and His Word can mankind find joy and happiness, as well as a rational, adequate, and consistent explanation of reality. It doesn't require a Ph.D., nor immense intelligence. Even a child can understand the teachings of the Bible.<br /><br /></div><div> </div><div>Learn the biblical worldview. Live it. Share it with others.</div></div></div>Kennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7669198373869931550.post-66034481030277327952011-09-11T21:32:00.004-04:002011-09-11T21:51:16.182-04:00Christianity and Islam: A Quick ComparisonFor weeks now I have had it in the back of my mind to post a blog entry on this topic. And without delving too deeply into the theology of either, let me identify some starting points:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">On Your Enemies</span>:<br /><br />Islam—Kill them in any way possible.<br /><br />Christianity—Jesus said, in the Sermon on the Mount, "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;" (Matt. 5:44)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Regarding Wives</span>:<br /><br />Islam—You can have several. You may divorce them for virtually any reason. To use western terminology, you can abuse them and not be concerned with the judicial system.<br /><br />Christianity—Paul wrote, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;" (Eph. 5:25) That's a tall order, by the way.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sharing Your Faith</span>:<br /><br />Islam—Submit to Allah, or be an infidel. Infidels must be killed.<br /><br />Christianity—We are to spread the glorious Gospel message to all the world (Matt. 28:18-20), yet must remember what Christ told his disciples in John 15:18-21:<br /><blockquote>18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.<br />19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.<br />20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.<br />21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.</blockquote>The world will hate Christians, but Christians are to love the world.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Political Observations</span>:<br /><br />Islam—If you know of any country where Islam is the dominant religion (you may go back to the 7th century AD for this one) that simultaneously had a system of government where people had freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and anything resembling full democracy ("full" in this context includes women and those who are not Muslims), please identify that country in the comments below. I'm drawing a blank.<br /><br />Christianity—America, for instance, was founded on Bible principles applied to law, freedom, liberty, economics, justice, and the like; and it has since become the greatest nation on earth. Other countries which have mimicked our founding political principles have been successful and allowed their peoples a large degree of freedom and justice.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">As Perceived by Other Americans</span>:<br /><br />Islam—Nobody seems willing to criticize Muslims for fear of getting firebombed. Even something essentially harmless, like a political cartoon, is cause for riots.<br /><br />Christianity—Nobody seems afraid to criticize and mock Christians, knowing that if they are true Christians, they will probably not reciprocate. (That whole "turn the other cheek" thing.)<br /><br /><br />Anyone have any additional comparisons? I'm willing to update the post if you have a good one.Kennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7669198373869931550.post-63892360504662473692011-08-31T23:16:00.003-04:002011-08-31T23:25:36.494-04:00What If...?What if, eight years ago, President Bush had announced, on one week's notice, that he wanted to give a major speech to Congress on the long-established date of the other party's presidential primary debate?
<br />
<br />And what if he hadn't followed protocol and formally asked the House speaker to do so in advance?
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<br />And then, when he realized what an idiotic move that was, he asked to reschedule it opposite the kickoff of the opening NFL football game of the year?
<br />Kennoreply@blogger.com0